Social Pharmacy in Health Care

Analysis of the level of awareness and attitude of pharmacy assistants to the continuous professional development in Ukraine

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an important tool for maintaining and improving the competencies of healthcare professionals. However, the level of awareness, motivation, and participation of pharmacy assistants in CPD activities remains insufficiently studied.

Aim. To analyze the level of awareness and attitude of pharmacy assistants to the modern CPD system in Ukraine, assess their motivation and involvement in CPD activities with an emphasis on existing challenges in building their own professional portfolioі, find out the sources of information and formats of CPD activities used by pharmacy assistants.

Materials and methods. The study used the literature review, desk analysis, and a sociological survey using the questionnaire method. The data were collected at the Institute for Advanced Training of Pharmacy Specialists (IAPTS) of the National University of Pharmacy (NPhU) among participants of advanced training courses during 2025. The data obtained were processed using descriptive statistics methods. The data were processed using Excel 2021 (Microsoft Corporation, USA).

Results and discussion. The study involved 300 pharmacy assistants representing different types of pharmacy institutions and regions of Ukraine. Analysis of the responses revealed varying levels of awareness among pharmacy assistants regarding the concept of CPD: 43 % of survey participants had a good understanding of CPD, 32 % had a general idea, and 25 % were completely unfamiliar with it. Only 28 % maintained a portfolio systematically, and 33% of pharmacy assistants were aware of the requirements for the mandatory annual CPD credit points. Among the respondents, 25 % understood the mechanism of CPD point accrual, indicating insufficient awareness and creating a significant barrier to active participation in such events. The main barriers were lack of time (46 %), financial difficulties (22 %), and lack of information support. The majority of respondents (74 %) were willing to self-finance their training, preferring online (48 %) and hybrid (28 %) formats.

Conclusions. The study results highlight the need for a comprehensive approach to CPD awareness, the implementation of digital learning tools, and the creation of conditions for the effective involvement of pharmacy assistants in CPD activities, especially in conditions of high workload and martial law.

Analysis of priority thematic areas of the pharmacists’ continuous professional development

O. O. Malyugina, H. P. Smoilovska, O. K. Yerenko, T. V. Khortetska — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0200

In the context of rapid changes within the healthcare system, the role of the pharmacist is being transformed from simple drug dispensing to comprehensive therapy management requiring new knowledge from specialists. In view of this, the study of the educational needs of pharmaceutical specialists acquires particular importance in the context of the sector’s reforms since education plays a central role in the development of pharmaceutical services.

Aim. To analyze the priority thematic areas of the pharmacists’ continuous professional development.

Materials and methods. A retrospective descriptive and analytical study with elements of the content analysis and cluster analysis using the results of a 5-year anonymous survey of attendees of the pharmacists’ continuous professional development (CPD) cycles was conducted. Data was collected using electronic questionnaires in Microsoft Forms. The questionnaires contained semi-structured and open-ended questions concerning the desired topics for future continuous professional development activities. The responses collected were exported and combined into a standardized dataset. The cluster analysis was performed using VOSviewer 1.6.20 software by analyzing the co-occurrence networks of keywords from the responses. The further analysis of the results was conducted using MS Excel.

Results and discussion. The research resulted in 10 clusters of 57 keywords, grouped based on the link density method. The average frequency of keywords ranged from 6.33 (cluster 10) to 191.45 (cluster 1). Cluster 1 focused on herbal remedies proved to be the most popular. The study revealed the high attendee interest in subject matters associated with clinical pharmacy (pharmaceutical care, rational drug use, evidence-based medicine). Significant demand was also demonstrated for topics concerning biopharmaceutical aspects and quality assurance at all stages of the drug lifecycle. The correlation analysis has confirmed the high internal consistency of the results, and the sustained relevance of the priority topics indicates the stability of the attendees’ priorities focused on safety, evidence, and quality.

Conclusions. The priority thematic areas for the pharmacists’ continuous professional development have been analyzed based on the survey results of attendees who completed specialization and thematic advanced training cycles for pharmacists at the Zaporizhzhia State Medical and Pharmaceutical University in 2021-2025. The most popular subject matters among specialists are pharmaceutical care and clinical pharmacy, biopharmaceutical aspects of medicines, and quality assurance at all stages of the drug lifecycle.

The analysis of the functioning of the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine in the context of implementing ethical codes and self-regulatory mechanisms for promotional activities

A. V. Volkova, E. M. Yeshanu — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0200

In the context of increasing competition in the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine and the growth of marketing investments, there is an urgent need to revise the legislative regulation of the drug promotion and to introduce professional self‑regulatory mechanisms aimed at preventing unethical practices, conflicts of interest, and enhancing trust in the healthcare system.

Aim. To analyze the specific features of the functioning of the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine with an assessment of the coverage of its key stakeholders by ethical codes and industry self‑regulatory mechanisms of the drug promotion.

Materials and methods. The study was based on data from scientific literature, media sources (Apteka Weekly, ThePharma.Media, FiercePharma), international and national regulatory acts and ethical codes, publicly available financial statements of pharmaceutical companies for 2023–2024, as well as data from the PharmXplorer analytical system for 2020 – the first half of 2025. The content analysis, comparative legal analysis, structural and logical analysis, and descriptive statistical methods with tabular and graphical presentation of results were applied.

Results and discussion. The analysis of the dynamics of the number of manufacturers and marketing authorization holders operating in the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine during 2020–2024 showed that the share of domestic manufacturers remained stable (10–11 %), while the share of domestic marketing organizations increased from 36 % to 38 %. In 2024, Ukraine accounted for the largest individual share of retail sales by both country of manufacture (37 %) and country of the marketing organization (42 %), while foreign companies continued to dominate the total retail sales of medicinal products. Among foreign drug manufacturers, companies from Germany (16.4 %), India (11.4 %), Italy (9.6 %), and France (9.5 %) prevailed. Among international marketing organizations, India (15.3 %), Germany (14.4 %), and the United Kingdom (8.7 %) held leading positions in terms of the number of companies. It was found that in 2024, Germany had the largest share in the structure of retail sales by both country of manufacture and country of the marketing organization among major foreign companies (13 % and 11 %, respectively). It was found that only about 10–11 % of marketing organizations were formally covered by industry ethical codes; however, these organizations account for nearly 44 % of the retail pharmaceutical market. The analysis of financial statements revealed a substantial share of marketing expenditures in the sales cost structure of leading domestic companies, reaching 57.8–77.4 % in 2024.

Conclusions. The results obtained indicate an uneven development of ethical self‑regulatory mechanisms in the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine and their limited quantitative coverage despite high economic concentration. This substantiates the need to expand industry self‑regulation practices among national manufacturers and marketing organizations and harmonize the national regulation of the drug promotion with international ethical standards, taking into account the market structure and the concentration of marketing expenditures.

The study of the practical aspects of the functioning of mobile applications of pharmacy chains in Ukraine

I. V. Bondarieva, V. V. Malyi, O. Yu. Rohulia, N. G. Malinina — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0200

In the context of active digitalization of the pharmaceutical market and the growth of the share of sales through mobile channels, a detailed analysis of the practical aspects of the functioning of mobile applications of pharmacy chains is critically important for ensuring their competitiveness and customer retention.

Aim. To study the practical aspects of the functioning of mobile applications of pharmacy chains in Ukraine.

Materials and methods. To achieve this goal, the content analysis, desk research methods, logical generalization of results and the graphical method were used. The study analyzed user reviews from Google Play and App Store platforms, as well as review aggregator sites. The data was collected using a web search for queries. In total, more than 1,650 reviews were reviewed for five pharmacy chains. The methodology included the qualitative analysis of complaints about the user experience, functionality, registration, search and performance, considering the frequency of mentions of problems.

Results and discussion. Based on the analysis of more than 1,650 user reviews, it has been found that low ratings of pharmacy chain apps in Ukraine are mainly associated with three groups of problems, such as technical problems (crashes, low performance), inconvenient interface (UX/UI), and the unsatisfactory overall user experience. The key errors that are often the subject of user complaints have been identified. They are: problems with registration and authorization (users often reported difficulties and failures when creating an account or logging in, often related to sending confirmation codes or linking to loyalty cards); an inconvenient home page and navigation (the home screen often lacks key functional elements or its structure is confusing, which makes it difficult for users to quickly find the necessary sections or promotions); errors in purchase scenarios (a significant number of complaints focus on difficulties in the final stages of the order, such as the inability to select the delivery/pick-up method, errors when applying discounts or bonus points, as well as payment failures); geolocation problems (inaccurate or slow determination of the user’s location, as well as incorrect display of availability and stocks in the pharmacy directly lead to frustration and order cancellation); search shortcomings (the search function often lacks flexibility and accuracy (e.g., poor handling of typos, inability to search by active ingredient, or inability to return relevant results), which makes it difficult to find specific medicines); the illogical catalog structure and filtering (users noted that the organization of product categories was often misunderstood, and the filtering options were insufficient or did not work correctly); problems on the product page; poor performance.

Conclusions. Low ratings of pharmacy chain apps in Ukraine are due to technical problems (crashes, slowness), inconvenient UX (registration, search, navigation) and the lack of key functions (data storage, filters). This leads to the loss of customers since 67 % of e-commerce sales occur through mobile channels. Recommendations on mobile applications of pharmacy chains in Ukraine have been developed; it helps to increase the rating of apps and the patients’ satisfaction of pharmacy chains.

The marketing research of the domestic market of tourniquets

V. M. Nazarkina, T. M. Koba, D. V. Litkin, E. V. Kryvenko — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Under martial law, tourniquets are used both at the stage of providing pre-hospital tactical assistance on the battlefield and during evacuation, as well as by emergency services, rescuers, and civilians (in particular, for training and preparation for work in emergency situations).

Aim. To analyze the state and key characteristics of the Ukrainian market for tourniquets, including its structure and dynamics, product range, price parameters, availability, and features of public procurement.

Materials and methods. The analysis of scientific publications, regulatory acts, recommendations and protocols of tactical medicine, and information from the official websites of authorized bodies was performed. The study of the structure and dynamics of the tourniquet market for 2022–2025 was conducted (the retail pharmacy segment – according to data from the Proxima Research analytical system, the public procurement – according to data from the analytical module of the BI.ProZorro electronic procurement system). The analysis of the range, prices, and availability of tourniquets as of October 2025 was performed by monitoring the official websites of manufacturers, the Prom.ua platform, the Prozorro Market e-catalog, online stores, and pharmacies.

Results and discussion. With the start of full-scale war, the demand for tourniquets in Ukraine has increased dramatically, leading to the formation of a specific market that combines public procurement, volunteer supplies, and commercial sales. Currently, a wide range of tourniquets is available in the Ukrainian market, which can be purchased through online stores and the Prom.ua platform. Pharmacy chains offer only 15 items (1–3 tourniquets in individual pharmacies), while the Prozorro Market e-catalog offers about 20. During 2022–2025, 10 trade names of tourniquets were sold through the pharmacy chain. All of them are officially registered in the Register of persons responsible for placing medical devices (MDs) in the market, but do not have recommendations for use in combat conditions. Purchases through the Prozorro system are limited and do not cover 100 % of the demand. There is a significant variation in prices for hemostatic MDs both within the group as a whole and for tourniquets of the same model/brand when purchased from different sources and by region.

Conclusions. The tourniquet market in Ukraine is undergoing an intensive development due to the growth of military and security needs. The establishment of national production of tourniquets, the introduction of uniform quality and safety standards, the strengthening of regulatory supervision, as well as the systematic application of health technology assessment (HTA) are key prerequisites for improving the safety, efficiency, and soundness of procurement for the needs of security and defense forces, emergency services, and healthcare institutions.

A comparative analysis of registered and imported nootropic drugs in the pharmaceutical market in the Republic of Uzbekistan

N. M. U. Sultanbaeva, D. U. Saydalieva, Sh. Z. Umarova, A. A. Nozdrina — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Nootropic drugs are widely used to treat cognitive impairments associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and cerebrovascular disorders, including stroke. The growing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, aging population, and increased neuropsychological stress have led to a sustained rise in demand for nootropic therapy. Under these conditions, assessing the relationship between the drug registration and the actual market availability is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of pharmaceutical supply.

Aim. To conduct a comparative analysis of the range of nootropic drugs registered in the State Register of Medicines of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the actual volume of these drugs introduced into the national pharmaceutical market over the period of 2014–2024.

Materials and methods. Comparative, systematic, economic, and statistical methods, well as marketing research and content analysis were used in the study. Data were obtained from the State Register of Medicines, Drug Audit reports, and the reference database. The analysis covered the number of registered and marketed trade names, countries of origin, manufacturers, international nonproprietary names, dosage forms, and the physical market volume expressed in packages.

Results and discussion. The results showed an almost twofold increase in the number of the registered nootropic drugs during the study period. However, only 40–55 % of the drugs registered actually entered the market, indicating a steady gap between the regulatory approval and commercialization. Since 2021, the share of domestic nootropic drugs has increased significantly, reflecting the strengthening of national pharmaceutical production. Monocomponent drugs continued to dominate the range although the share of multicomponent drugs increased. Injectable solutions accounted for the largest share of both the registered drugs and the market volume, while oral dosage forms showed a gradual growth. Piracetam and Citicoline remain the leading names although recent years have been characterized by increasing diversification towards peptide complexes and combination drugs.

Conclusions. The study provides a comprehensive overview of the structure and dynamics of the nootropic drug market in Uzbekistan and can be useful for making evidence-based decisions in pharmaceutical regulation, production planning, and market strategy development.

The study on the causes and consequences of the pharmaceutical staff turnover and mechanisms for minimizing it

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Aim. To study the causes and consequences of the increase in the turnover of the pharmaceutical personnel in Ukraine under martial law and to substantiate practical mechanisms for minimizing the turnover, taking into account current trends in the pharmaceutical labor market.

Materials and methods. The analysis of modern scientific literature, the questionnaire survey method, analysis and synthesis, the survey formal-logical and retrospective analysis, comparative and systemic methods were used. The results of the analysis were processed using the licensed Microsoft Office Excel software products; descriptive statistics and statistical inference methods were applied to process the survey data.

Results and discussion. The analysis of the current state of the pharmaceutical labor market in Ukraine has been conducted and key factors affecting the turnover of the pharmaceutical personnel under martial law have been identified. A sociological study has shown that the main motive for dismissing employees is their own desire, due to dissatisfaction with working conditions, psychological exhaustion, insufficient motivation and a low level of trust in management. It has been found that the main factors of the turnover are ineffective motivational and communicative management, the lack of work-life balance, the low level of investment in the professional development and the lack of systemic support from employers. It has been determined that the ineffective structure of the pharmaceutical personnel is due to both external factors – martial law, economic instability, and internal organizational shortcomings, which are manifested in the weak adaptation of management models to the challenges of today. The algorithm developed and the mechanism for managing the pharmaceutical personnel turnover have shown its effectiveness as a scientifically based system that combines elements of strategic planning, monitoring, motivational influence and control.

Conclusions. The study has confirmed a significant increase in the pharmaceutical personnel turnover, which is a significant problem that has worsened due to increased workload and staff shortages. The combination of external and internal factors has led to the need to develop a holistic mechanism for managing the turnover. The algorithm proposed and the system of management elements provide a scientifically sound approach to monitoring, prevention and minimization of personnel risks, forming the basis for stabilizing the pharmaceutical personnel and increasing their professional stability, which is the key to proper pharmaceutical provision of the population during martial law.

Analysis of awareness of pharmacists and students of pharmacy faculties about antibiotic-associated diarrhea and methods of its prevention

Yu. V. Verkhovodova, B. O. Dolyna — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0200

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is a common complication of antibiotic therapy that requires timely prevention and high-quality pharmaceutical care to prevent dysbiotic disorders, digestive disorders, and pseudomembranous colitis.

Aim. To determine the level of awareness of practicing pharmacists and senior students of pharmacy faculties about antibiotic-associated diarrhea, methods of its prevention, and the main approaches to providing proper pharmaceutical care.

Materials and methods. The study was based on the results of an online survey conducted between November 1 and 29, 2024, among pharmacists and senior students, and it aimed to determine the average level of knowledge about the etiopathogenesis, prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and identify topics that were most difficult to understand or require additional training. The methods used included sociological surveys, comparative analysis, graphical analysis, and analytical and generalizing analysis.

Results and discussion. A total of 80 respondents participated in the survey. Of them, 50 % worked as pharmacists; 12.5 % were not employed in a pharmacy at the time of the study; and 37.5 % worked as pharmacy assistants or intern pharmacists. At the same time, 37.5 % of respondents had less than a year of experience, 25 % already worked from one and five years, 25 % worked for more than five years, and 12.5 % had no experience; the latter group consisted of students from the Pharmacy Faculty. The analysis of the respondents’ self-assessment of their knowledge indicates a lack of awareness of the mechanisms of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, modern approaches to its prevention and the rational choice of accompanying agents, particularly probiotics, prebiotics and enterosorbents. The respondents mainly emphasized the importance of studying the treatment and prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, in particular among students of the Pharmacy Faculty.

Conclusions. It has been determined that antibiotic-associated diarrhea is a relevant issue for pharmaceutical professionals since patients regularly visit pharmacies with related queries. A survey of pharmaceutical workers of various skill levels and work experience has shown that most respondents are aware of the importance of this issue and the need to improve their knowledge of its treatment and prevention. The results obtained confirm the importance of expanding and deepening the study of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in pharmacy faculty education programs, in order to improve the quality of pharmaceutical care for patients.